Four psychiatrists have put in their resignation at Vernon Jubilee Hospital, Interior Health has confirmed.
The health authority said all four psychiatrists have decided to resign from acute care and on-call duties at the hospital “for separate and unrelated personal reasons.”
Three of the physicians have informed Interior Health that they will continue to support local services through their community practices, “which we anticipate will positively impact access and continuity of care for clients needing ongoing care,” an Interior Health spokesperson said in an email late Thursday afternoon, Oct. 23.
“We want to thank these physicians for their years of dedicated service to the inpatient and acute care services at the hospital,” the spokesperson said.
The BC Conservatives highlighted the resignations Thursday evening, claiming in a press release the psychiatrists had experienced “overwhelming workloads and a lack of support.”
The Conservatives drew comparisons to the recent resignation of seven obstetrician-gynecologists (OB-GYNs) from Kamloops’ Royal Inland Hospital over concerns about workload, with Kelowna-Centre MLA Kristina Loewen saying Interior Health is “in meltdown.”
“First pediatricians in Kelowna, then OB-GYNs in Kamloops, and now psychiatrists in Vernon. Families are losing access to care, frontline workers are burning out, and the Minister of Health is still pretending it’s all under control,” Loewen said.
Interior Health did not provide a direct answer when asked if the psychiatrists were leaving all at once due to being overworked.
Kelowna-Mission MLA Gavin Dew criticized new Interior Health CEO Sylvia Weir in response to the news of the resigning psychiatrists.
“I gave her the benefit of the doubt, but frankly, this has not been a strong start for the new Interior Health CEO,” Dew said. “The people who hold our healthcare system together are walking away because they feel abandoned. This isn’t just about wages or recruitment. It’s about culture and confidence … If we don’t see a serious change in direction soon, we will be forced to assume nothing has changed under new leadership.”
Six other psychiatrists are still under contract to provide acute care at the hospital, with additional support from visiting psychiatrists.
Anyone experiencing a crisis is advised to go to the hospital to be assessed. Services will be available at the hospital for individuals in distress, and Interior Health said it will continue to advise the public of any changes to psychiatric services and provide “clear direction and options for alternate care if that is required.”
The health authority said it is working with the psychiatrists to finalize their transition plans, and updates will be shared as they become available.
Interior Health is working with the Provincial Services Authority and other partners to recruit new psychiatrists while supporting the remaining ones and working to “stabilize acute services in the region,” it said.
The Conservatives called for immediate moves to stabilize Interior Health, including emergency recruitment measures, mental health supports for healthcare workers, and an independent review of management and oversight within the health authority.
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